How to make a pen for writing. Steel pen for writing. Continuation. Steel nibs and ballpoint pens

“My mother dropped me, people lifted me up, cut off my head, took out my heart, gave me something to drink - and I began to talk ...” What a riddle! You won't understand anything! How is it - they cut off his head, and he drinks and talks? What is it anyway? It turns out that we are talking about a goose feather. They lifted it, cut the tip obliquely, cleaned the middle, dipped it in ink - and it began to write, that is, to speak, to tell.

A goose feather, and sometimes a crow, peacock, swan, has been used for writing since the 7th century. But the feathers of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, pigeons were not suitable for this, so that not a single chicken, turkey or dove could boast that they helped famous writers create books. Only geese! After all, Pushkin, and Lermontov, and Gogol wrote their immortal works, dipping goose feathers in bronze inkwells. The quality of the written largely depended on how the pen was cut and sharpened. Our great poet Pushkin did not trust anyone with this important matter. Moreover, he, like some other lovers of a good pen, knew one secret. The quill quills taken from the left wing write letters much better, more beautifully, because their bend is more comfortable for the hand.

A good pen was considered a valuable gift. Goethe, the famous German poet, sent Pushkin a beautifully sharpened pen in a rich case as a gift. It is still kept in the museum-apartment of the poet in St. Petersburg.

And writing with goose quills is not easy at all. In inept hands, every line drawn from right to left or from bottom to top, any oval, made the pen splatter with small, nasty sprays. With strong pressure, it “scrambled” and was written off pretty soon. And the creak!.. This is how Gogol describes one St. Petersburg office: “The noise of feathers was more like how several carts with brushwood drove a quarter of an arshin with dry leaves ...”. Very soothing music!

And yet, despite all its shortcomings, goose pens have successfully served the writing humanity for a millennium. For ten centuries the resilient quill creaked on the parchment of handwritten books. How many royal decrees he signed!

How many mysterious messages, how many formulas of inspired alchemists, recipes of apothecaries were written by him!

It is said that the reign of goose feathers ended in this way. One man who had to write a lot had a servant. With pity, he looked at his master, who kept changing feathers. And then the servant had an idea: what if we make exactly the same pen, but only from durable material? Like steel? And the servant made such a pen. He tried very hard, but still the pen looked a little unsightly, and most importantly, the inventor did not think of making a longitudinal slot on the tip of the pen. The pen splattered a lot with ink and wrote without pressure. But soon they guessed to make such a cut, and then the ketal feather completely replaced the goose feather.

It seemed that nothing threatened the inkwells, and at that time few people imagined that they, too, would go into oblivion. The mind of the inventors worked hard on how to combine the pen, pen and inkwell into one whole. In the throes of creativity, which lasted about a hundred years, the so-called "stylographic" pen was finally born. It worked like this: ink was poured into a hollow pen. The handle ended with a thin metal tube into which a wire was inserted. As a result, a narrow channel was formed through which the ink leaked, and did not flow (which was very important!)

Inventors are amazing people. Sometimes their thought flies so high that it reaches right up to the ceiling. They came up with such a structure: a tank with ink hung from the ceiling, which flowed down through rubber tubes to metal rods and faucets. If you turn the faucet and squeeze the rod with your fingers, the ink will not flow, if you release it, it will flow down. Such "eternal feathers" were installed in offices, banks, and other public places. And at home? Who wants to keep a barrel of ink under the ceiling? Then one quick-witted person came up with this: he cut the metal rod into several parts, sharpened each one and inserted it into a stick. This is how the “insert” appeared - a pen that is still remembered by those who studied at school in the sixties, and in the outback in the seventies. Stationery pens, put on a painted wooden stick, can still be found, for example, at some post offices.

What kind of feathers have not been invented over the past two centuries! Pointed and with a curved nose - clerical. Poster for artists, cartographic for compiling geographical maps, music with a double split - for transcribers of music. Feathers in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, feathers with portraits of Napoleon and the Queen of England. There were nominal feathers, decorated with coats of arms. This, of course, is for noble people who had coats of arms.

However, it cannot be said that the quill was the most ancient writing device. In ancient Egypt, for example, four and a half thousand years ago they used kalam - a pointed reed stick that was dipped in ink. Kalamas have not survived to this day, you will not see them in the museum, but detailed descriptions of how they were made and how they were used have come down to us.

The same Egyptians had another invention, it was discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamen. It was a lead tube with a pointed end. A reed filled with a dark liquid was inserted inside the tube. The liquid gradually flowed down to the pointed end, and when the tube was passed over the papyrus, a clear black mark remained on it. This invention of the ancient Egyptians was simply forgotten, and for many centuries the quill remained the most perfect writing tool.

From this article you will learn:

By whom and when was pen writing invented?

Which nibs do not require sharpening

How to sharpen a quill pen yourself

How to sharpen a pen for magical purposes

Calligraphy can be called an art, quite common around the world. Until the end of the 19th century, people shared their ideas, thoughts and emotions through letters that were written with a pen. Our article is devoted to the history of the writing pen, in addition, we will tell you how to sharpen the writing pen yourself.

History of pen writing

Since the 7th century, a sharpened bird feather has been used to write a letter. But not every pen could be suitable for this process. Most often they were crows, peacocks or swans. Thus, great writers such as Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol created their immortal masterpieces only with the help of a well-sharpened quill pen.

It was very important to know how to sharpen a pen for writing, because the quality of writing depended on it. For example, Pushkin did not allow anyone to sharpen his feathers. Moreover, he knew the secret about the quill: if you take it from the left wing, then due to its bend it fits comfortably in the hand and beautifully writes out the letters.

A well-made and beautifully sharpened pen could be an expensive gift. So, Pushkin's pen, which was presented to him by the German poet Goethe, is kept to this day in the same rich case in the poet's apartment museum in St. Petersburg.

In fact, it is not so easy to write a letter with a sharpened quill pen. If a person did not know and did not know how to handle it correctly, then when drawing any line or oval from right to left or from bottom to top, small nasty splashes flew off the pen. Moreover, if you press very hard on the pen, it will grind off in a short time. And what a creak was heard when writing! Even Gogol once mentioned one of the St. Petersburg offices: "The noise of feathers was more like how several carts with brushwood drove a quarter of an arshin with dry leaves ...".

However, despite all the shortcomings, the goose feather has served man well for a whole millennium. Not a single royal decree, not a single handwritten book, could do without the use of a well-sharpened pen.

The pen was used by alchemists to create formulas, pharmacists to write down recipes. They wrote many mysterious messages.

It is said that the reign of quills sharpened for writing ended in this way. The servant of one man, who wrote a lot and because of this he constantly changed pens, felt sorry for the owner. And one day the thought came to his mind about why not make the same pen, but from a more durable material, for example, steel. Despite all his efforts, his pen turned out to be unattractive in appearance, moreover, the servant did not think of making a longitudinal slit on the tip. His pen wrote without pressure and the ink splattered heavily. After a while, they guessed to make such a slot, and then the steel pen for writing completely replaced the sharpened goose.

No one would have thought that the inkwells would also be forgotten. The inventors only thought about how to make a sharpened pen, pen and inkwell one. Almost a hundred years later, the so-called "stylographic" writing pen was invented. How did it work and what was it like? It was a hollow pen into which ink was poured. At the end of the handle is a thin metal tube where the wire was inserted. Due to this, a narrow channel was formed, through which, when writing, they leaked, and did not flow ( important point!) ink.

No matter how many ideas the inventors of that time surprised. For example, a structure was invented, which is a suspended tank filled with ink for writing, which flowed down through rubber tubes. When they turned the faucet and squeezed the rod with their fingers, the ink did not flow, they let go - they began to flow. These "eternal pens" were used for writing in banks, offices and other public places.

But in residential buildings this device for writing was not used, because who would want to install a whole barrel of ink under their ceiling? One person found a way out of the situation. It turns out that it was only necessary to cut the metal rod into pieces, sharpen each and insert a stick into it. He got the so-called "insert". A similar pen was used by schoolchildren in the 1960s, and in the villages in the 1970s. To this day, some post offices still use stationery quills on a wooden stick for writing.

Over the past 200 years, many specially sharpened pens for writing have been invented: stationery - with sharp ends and with a curved nose, poster - they were used by artists, cartographic - with their help they drew maps, musical notes had a double split and were used by music copyists. Writing pens were various shapes(for example, in the form of the Eiffel Tower), they depicted portraits of Emperor Napoleon and the Queen of England. For noble people, writing pens were decorated with nominal coats of arms.

However, the quill pen is not that ancient a writing device. The very first were kalams, which were used for writing in ancient Egypt 4500 years ago. These were pointed cane sticks that were dipped in ink. Unfortunately, the kalams have not “survived” to this day, they are not in any museum, but we have the production itself with a detailed description of their use.

The Egyptians had another invention for writing, which was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. This is a lead tube, the end of which was pointed. Inside it was a reed filled with a dark liquid, which, flowing down to the very tip, left a dark mark on the papyrus. Thus, once again it is confirmed that the Egyptians invented a writing medium before the idea of ​​using a quill pen for writing appeared. But everyone forgot about this, and the pen was considered the only invention for writing.

Which feathers do not need to be sharpened

The emergence of the metal pen has not been fully elucidated, since it was invented, apparently, more than once and not even in one country. In English and German literature, versions of the creation of a metal pen are described in their own way, and this is quite understandable, since important inventions were sometimes made simultaneously in different states.

metal pen is not just an invention, but an achievement of mankind. It would seem that the smallest refinement - the transition from a sharpened goose quill to a metal one - influenced the development of world writing, it became more convenient to fix thoughts, the speed of writing increased.

At the very beginning, we mentioned only one legend about the emergence of a steel pen for writing. How did it happen in other countries?

In ancient Rome, writing pens were also known and were made from metals such as bronze, copper and silver. The pen was cut off and split almost like a modern one. main feature was that the feathers were very durable, did not write off and did not rust. With such a pen, Theodoric the Great (VI century AD) left his signature on orders.

Oile's book sets out such a version that in the 15th century. German craftsmen knew writing pens made of silver and copper, which had to be constantly sharpened, and they were inferior in flexibility and elasticity to other types of pens. Therefore, they were not in mass demand.

1798 was the year of the invention of a steel pen, which was able to write on a lithographic stone. This pen was invented by Alois Senefelder. It was after him, as Oile wrote, that the English manufacturers Mason, Peri and Vaizev took advantage of his invention in the 30s of the 19th century.

In 1818, Jansen, a resident of Aachen, made a metal pen. In presenting his own invention to the congress of his city, he wished such lasting peace like the material from which his pen is made.

In 1828, in Berlin, a mechanic engaged in the manufacture of surgical instruments also made a steel nib, which was adapted by K. Burger to goose. The result was a pen that never became a success with contemporaries.

According to English literature, the invention of a metal pen for writing falls on 1780. It was invented by Samuel Garrison from Birmingham. In 1803, feathers were already being sold in London for less than 5 shillings apiece (that is, approximately 2 rubles 30 kopecks at the exchange rate of that time). However, such feathers are not quite similar to modern ones.

In shape, they looked like a tube or cylinder with converging edges, which formed a gap in the center. The sides were trimmed like goose feathers. In what ways were they imperfect? They had an uncomfortable design, were rigid and hard. Because of this, they were not in great demand. But in 1828-1829. Garrison and Mason improved the model by adding elasticity to the nib and making central holes in the metal strip and wide projections.

With the help of a metal pen, the speed of writing increased. Therefore, the 30s of the XIX century. became the time for the appearance of such feathers in Russia, but they were only foreign production. And when in 1832 Vadim Passek sent a steel pen to T.P. Kuchina, this gift was unusual for her.

In the early 50s of the XIX century. not everyone could master the technique of writing with a steel pen, it was not so easy. Remember how the prisoner from the Notes of the House of the Dead wrote, who “before knew how, but as they began to write with pens, so I forgot how” (Part II, Ch. 3).

To tell the difference between a letter written with a quill pen or a metal one, you do not need the experience of Sherlock Holmes, as in Conan Doyle's story "The Noble Bachelor". The metal writing nib leaves indentations in most of the letters, which is noticeable even without a magnifying glass.

Although the metal pen had competitors, it was not soon possible to displace it, despite the invention of the calligraphy teacher Zley in 1856. For his pens, he came up with a special composition that made them hard and resilient, and allegedly therefore they surpassed "possible iron pens" .

How to sharpen a quill pen for writing

To make and sharpen a pen, you need to have:

scalpel (you can use a small knife, just sharpen it well);

a piece of thick wire;

glass jar;

not a large number of river sand.

An important point is the selection of a pen for writing. Usually, good option it will become a goose 25–30 cm long or a turkey tail feather.

Taking a goose feather, go over it with a scalpel along the entire trunk, cutting off the “teeth”. Do this until the pen feels comfortable in your hand. By tradition, you need to cut off all the cloves, and leave the trunk 15–20 cm long. But still, the plumage makes the feather attractive, so we will partially leave the cloves.




After trimming, the feather barrel must be hardened in sand for 30 minutes. To do this, the sand must be heated in the oven, poured into a glass jar, and put a pen in it.



Next, the tip of the pen is formed. First you need to decide how exactly you feel comfortable holding the pen when writing. Then, remembering where the top will be, and where the bottom will be at the pen (usually everyone holds the pen so that it is located on the middle finger, the same with the pen - the bottom is where the middle finger touches the pen). Laying the pen so that this side is up, cut at an angle of approximately 45°.



After the pen has been sharpened, remove its internal contents with a wire. To do this, you need to push it inside the barrel and pull it out sharply. This will catch the inner fluff, and it can be easily removed by hand.




Using a scalpel, cut again at a sharper angle, stepping back a little towards the plumage. Look at the picture and compare with what you got.

How to sharpen a writing pen for magical purposes

It doesn't matter how you write diaries, reports and notes, since ancient times, the magical text has been written exclusively with a quill pen. In our online store you can choose from special sharpened black and white pens for writing and witchcraft.

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In addition, various esoteric goods are presented in our store. You can purchase everything you need for magical rituals: tarot card divination, runic practices, shamanism, wicca, druidcraft, northern tradition, ceremonial magic, and much more.

You have the opportunity to purchase any product you are interested in by ordering it on the site, which operates around the clock. Any of your orders will be fulfilled in as soon as possible. Residents and guests of the capital can visit not only our website, but also the store located at: st. Maroseyka, 4. Also, our stores are in St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Taganrog, Samara, Orenburg, Volgograd and Shymkent (Kazakhstan).

Visit the corner of true magic!

I remember when I was at school, in our classroom there was a portrait of Pushkin with a quill pen in his hand. Looking at this quill pen, I then sympathized with Alexander Sergeevich: how difficult it was for him to write with such a pen.
Out of curiosity, I then decided to make a goose quill myself and test it in action. I carefully cut the end of the pen obliquely, made an incision in the middle as in metal pens, dipped it in ink, and then on clean slate instead of letters, only bold blots appeared - the pen categorically refused to write. And if, with excessive diligence and accuracy, I still managed to avoid blots, then all the same, one dip of the pen in ink was not enough even for one letter. How many times, I thought, did Pushkin have to dip his pen in ink in order to write, for example, the fairy tale "Ruslan and Lyudmila"?

These are today a lot of different pens - both ballpoint, and fountain, and helium, - and in Pushkin's time there were not even pens with which I wrote in elementary grades, dipping an iron pen put on a wooden stick into a non-spilling inkwell. I remember, I wrote with a pen "Asterisk". There were also feathers "Frog", "11th number" and others.

As an adult, I learned that goose pens were not so bad, and they wrote no worse than our “frogs” and “stars”. And all because feathers in Pushkin's time were made differently than I thought. Feathers were taken from living geese, and they were taken only from the left wing (for left-handers they were taken from the right wing) and only in spring. Then the feathers were stuck into hot sand or ash to soften them and clean them of fat. Then a hollow tube was cut and exactly the same, but smaller in volume, was inserted there. It turned out like a capsule inside a pen, where ink accumulated. The tip of the pen was cut with a special penknife (the name "penknife" has survived to this day). That's when Pushkin took such a pen in his hand, he immediately
"And the thoughts in my head are agitated in courage,
And light rhymes run towards them,
And fingers ask for a pen, a pen for paper,
A minute - and the verses will flow freely.
To write such a poem, Pushkin had only to dip his pen in ink no more than three times. One dip of the pen was enough to write a whole sentence.

Few people know that Russia was one of the largest manufacturers feathers all over the world. Russia exported 27 million goose feathers a year to England alone. In Russian cities, feathers went on sale in bunches, covered with twine, 25 pieces per bunch.
There was only one drawback of such pens - they often had to be sharpened, since the tip of the pen was quickly ground from friction into paper, emitting a characteristic creak. Here is how Gogol wrote about this creak in Dead Souls: “The noise from the feathers was great and looked like several carts with brushwood were passing through a forest littered with dried leaves a quarter of an arshin.”

However, the brilliant works of Shakespeare, Goethe, Byron, Pushkin, Lermontov came out from under such a squeaky pen ... After the production of metal feathers began in Germany in the middle of the 19th century, not only goose feathers disappeared, but there were no poets equal to Shakespeare, Pushkin and other geniuses mentioned above. Maybe some kind of motivating and inspiring force is hidden in goose feathers?
By the way, the goose feather still serves people today - a shuttlecock is made from it for playing badminton. The shuttlecock consists of 16 goose feathers and a cork head covered with thin kid skin.

Wooden pens with a metal nib lasted over a century. I remember when I was in the first grade, at first we were not allowed to write even with such pens, but only with a pencil, until we “stuff” our hand and learn how to draw letters correctly. What a joy it was when you were finally allowed to write with a real pen.

A special groove was provided for a pen on the desks. Today, such desks, unfortunately, are long gone. Desks then were a one-piece powerful structure entirely made of wood. A double desk united into one inseparable whole a seat with a back and a tabletop inclined at an angle of about 25-30 degrees. For convenience, the tabletop was provided with two hinged valves-lids. I remember that the teachers often scolded us for rattling these lids, training us to lower them smoothly, silently. During the lesson, we tried not to slam the lids, but after the bell, the roar from the lids resembled shelling.
Under the tabletop was a shelf for briefcases. The front edge of the tabletop was made in the form of a narrow horizontal bar, on which there were two recesses for non-spill inkwells and two grooves for a pen or pencil. In order for the desks to “grow” with the students, they were produced in four sizes.

Pens with a metal nib gradually began to be replaced by a ballpoint pen, which was invented in 1938 by the Hungarian journalist Ladislo Biro. His pens were far from perfect and there were many complaints about them. George Parker brought the ballpoint pen to mind. With a Parker pen, Eisenhower signed the act of surrender of Nazi Germany.

In the USSR, the production of ballpoint pens was launched in 1949, and they became available to all citizens somewhere in the 60s. When the pasta ran out, the rods, I remember, were not thrown away then, but were refilled several times at special gas stations.

I write and think: how old I am! I also grabbed desks, wooden pens with metal nibs, and non-spill ink bottles. If I had the ability to move in time, I would return from this modern crazy world to the time of Pushkin, where lovers wrote notes and letters to each other with goose feathers.

How do you live alone in this his world,
Who danced with you autumn ball,
And then he received an arrow from Eros.

Maybe the young cornet could not look away -
I ordered a phaeton to take you away,
Consumed by your unearthly beauty
The hero realized too late: his plan was empty!

Or an ardent poet read stanzas to you,
And then the musician played a madrigal,
How he loves you selflessly alone
And I'm ready to give you the moon from the sky.

Or maybe now you're walking in the garden
Remember me and still waiting...
Colored leaves rustle underfoot,
And dear words sound to me:

"Write me a letter
goose feather,
How do you live alone
in this world,
Why did you dance
this waltz is not with me,
I'm sad alone
I've been waiting for you.

Why did you dance
this waltz is not with me,
I'm sad alone
I've been waiting for you."
(AUTUMN WALTZ
Poems by Julius KHARIS)

Reviews

"Oh, how many wonderful discoveries the spirit of enlightenment is preparing for us!"

Until now, I assumed that the quill pen was simply cut off and written :) And there are so many important details here! It's like trying to make a violin out of plywood - outwardly, maybe it will work out the same way, but you won't be able to extract the sound.

In this article, I will tell you about the different calligraphy tools and add a video in which the tools below and some others are used in action.

An important part of calligraphy- this is a writing utensil (instruments) with which they write. It often happens that it is the instrument that dictates the nature and style of writing. Sometimes it is difficult to find a quality pen and you can do it yourself from improvised material. Usually, the necessary things are sold in art stores, but not all. Some can be purchased online. Here are links to online stores:

www.kalligraphie.com - a large selection of writing instruments

www.jetpens.com - writing tools

www.kallipos.de - different types of pens (modern and vintage), holders, ink, ink.

www.scribblers.co.uk - everything for calligraphy (almost everything)

Dominated by online stores great amount different types tools. In general, it is difficult to choose pointed feathers. There are many of them and they have different characters of writing. Below is a little information on the characteristics of feathers, which will help beginners or refresh the minds of those who already know.

pointed feathers

These nibs are well suited for "pressure" or Copperplate style writing. They are made from metal or bird feathers, usually goose. They write calligraphy and artists draw with them. The tip of the pen writes with a thin line (in their names they add: extra fine or EF), and if you gently press it, the tip forks and the line becomes thicker. Flexible nibs are suitable for calligraphy (very high flexibility). Writing with this pen becomes very graceful. For example, below are the nibs from left to right: Gillott's 303 extra fine, Eagle E750 extra fine, Leonardt Hiro 700, Brause 66 EF, MRRK Riga 235, Leonardt Hiro 700, Riga 235.

pointed feathers may vary in size. The photo above shows small feathers. They are ideal for writing on smooth paper. But there are also large, long pens, which are better for writing on uneven paper. They are also suitable for people with large palms. The photo below shows these nibs: star nib, John Mitchell's 727 EF, John Mitchell's Celebrated G, Brause 76 Iserlohn (Rose), Brause 361 (Blue Pumpkin).

Broad nibs

Writing with a wide-nib pen is a classic in the west. The tip of this pen is like a small spatula. They are made of metal, reed, bamboo, bird feathers and even wood. Often, the thickness of the line depends on the angle of rotation of the pen. Also there are such feathers for right-handers and left-handers. You can write with nibs and with a slight angle, of course, but usually use with a straight cut. Similar feathers can be bought in special art stores or in the office, the brand does not have great importance, the main thing is the quality of the pen and it remains only to choose the size you need. By the size of the letters, you can determine the width of the pen and, usually, the height of the letter is 4-5 pen widths. So, for letters 1 cm high, a 2 mm wide pen is suitable.

poster feathers

If you need to write large letters, then poster pens, which can be found in art stores, and a large number in online stores, will help you. These feathers have been known since school. It is unlikely that they are suitable for learning calligraphy.

Pen holders

Pen holders are usually used for the Copperplate style. This photo below shows: a regular straight holder and a special Oblique Penholder. Straight holders can be purchased at any art store, but beveled ones should be looked for in online stores.

Kalam

It is the main writing instrument in the East. It is made from cane. People in the east are very laborious in the manufacture of kalam, they use different methods of trimming, clearing and splitting the cane. If you want to feel that feeling when writing with a kalam, you can purchase a cane or bamboo stick and sharpen him or her as shown in the photo below. (Flower shops often use cane sticks to decorate flower bouquets). To finish, the end of the kalam is split with a knife, like a feather.

Calligraphy markers

There are special and different markers for calligraphy. They all differ in the cut of the writing part. If you cannot find them in regular stores or online stores, then you can make them by hand. We take a permanent marker with a flat writing part or an office and clerical knife, cut off this part and voila, we got a tool for calligraphy. But it is better, of course, to use special markers for this, thereby improving the quality and convenience of writing.

Fountain pens are also used for writing, for calligraphy (pen width is up to 2 mm). The most popular of them are: Lamy Joy, Pelikan ScriptRotring, Manuscript, ArtPen. The photo below shows a Pelikan Script 2mm and an unnamed Chinese pen. But the best calligraphy pen is the Pilot Parallel Pen.

And here is this video that will introduce you to how calligraphic tools work when writing:

with your own hands.

“Now few people write by hand. The age of computers, mobile phones and other gadgets seems to have completely atrophied the ability to write with a pen. All the more beautiful. Even more so with a pen. That is why calligraphy skills become a valuable skill.

Imagine how pleasant it is for your loved one to receive a postcard written in a special font and even by hand. You can buy a fountain pen at an art store. But the above item is rare. Just it will not be about firms and types of metal feathers.

Your attention is the most ancient natural writing instrument - kalam (or kalam). It was used by the ancient Persians and Indians. You will get it absolutely free if reed grows in your area.
Interesting? Well, then be patient and go for the reed.

Late autumn is the time. At this time, it matures completely. Green does not suit us.

Extraction must be cleared of leaves. Dry for a couple of days.

Ready? Take a sharp knife. Pencil is enough. Cut off one segment first.

Measure from the edge of the gap to the length of the thumb.

Very carefully, without demonstrating strength, we cut off one layer of the stem to half the diameter.

We cut again at an angle of about 30 degrees, stepping back a little.

Then we make the cut angle even sharper.

We give the appearance of a wide flat pen.

Trim the end to make it even. Like this.

We clean up all the bumps. After we turn the pen over and cut off the layer, stepping back 1.5 mm at an angle of about 45 degrees.

It is better to do this on a table or any other convenient flat support. Finishing touch. Be careful. You need to make an incision right in the middle of the pen.

But first, so that the crack does not go all over the reed, it is necessary to make a small hole. Ideally, a thin drill is used. But you can pierce with an awl.

Kalam is ready. Now you will need ink or ink. If possible, you can try to repeat the famous fonts of the Middle Ages. But this is optional. Try to write some letters and maybe you will get your font.

With the help of kalam and ink, you can beautifully sign a postcard, a note for a gift, or the packaging itself. And what are the possibilities in decor… Good luck!”

Thanks Dmitry! I’ll add on my own that I saw a scribe with a calligraphic pen at the Medieval Festival in Spain. It cost him 3 euros to beautifully write a name on a prepared sheet ...

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